**President Trump Announces Sale of Over $1.3 Billion in “Trump Gold Cards” Immigration Program**
*By Kimberly Hayek | Epoch Times | December 20, 2025*
President Donald Trump announced on December 19 that his administration has sold more than $1.3 billion worth of “Trump Gold Cards,” a new immigration program offering expedited residency to high-skilled foreign talent. The proceeds from the program are going toward paying down the national debt.
In remarks to the press, Trump stated that sales had exceeded $1.3 billion and described the Gold Card as a “green card on steroids.” He explained that the option would allow companies to retain graduates from elite institutions, such as Harvard and Wharton, who might otherwise have to return to their native countries upon graduation.
“They graduate from the top schools,” Trump said. “These people want to hire them. Now you’re able to buy a card and you’re able to keep people in the country.”
Trump highlighted how his immigration policy focuses on securing top talent while curbing illegal immigration. “Under the Biden administration, 25 million people came in, and they came from prisons and mental institutions, and they were drug dealers and all sorts of people came in that shouldn’t be here. They came from the jails,” he commented.
The Gold Card program allows businesses to purchase visas for foreign workers, enabling them to stay indefinitely with work rights. The visa costs $1 million, payable as a donation to the U.S. federal government. The program, which has faced legal challenges, began accepting applications on December 10.
Trump launched the Gold Card initiative in September through an executive order and simultaneously instituted a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applicants. The fee exempts current holders and renewals, according to the White House.
Initially proposed in February, Trump’s Gold Card visa carried a $5 million price tag for residency and included a path to citizenship. At that time, Trump said, “Wealthy people will be coming into our country.”
The administration launched a dedicated website for the program in June. Upon the launch, Trump noted the program would “reduce our taxes greatly and hopefully bring some great people into our country.” All payments go directly to the U.S. Treasury.
Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce, played a key role in launching the program, according to Trump.
However, resistance remains: twenty states have filed a lawsuit against the $100,000 H-1B fee, arguing it exceeds executive authority. Meanwhile, proponents praise the Gold Card program for addressing longstanding issues with the H-1B lottery system.
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**Topics:** Culture/Society, Government, News/Current Events
**Keywords:** Gold Card, residency, visa
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**User Comments:**
1. *SeekAndFind:* Interest on the debt will eat it up. I’d offer one-way tickets to leftists on the condition they don’t return until Trump’s gone.
2. *DIRTYSECRET:* [Comment withheld]
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